Vehicle wheel



Sept 2, 1952 H. L. Mul-:LLER 2,609,244

VEHICLE WHEEL Filed` Sept. 28, 1948 INVENTOR.

#OMER L` HULLEZ.

Patented Sept. 2, 1952 #UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE WHEEL Homer L. Mueller, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Welding Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 28, 1948, Serial No. 51,535

Claims.

' The present improvements relating generally as indicated to a vehicle Wheel have more particular regard to a Wheel on which pneumatic tires are adapted to be detachably mounted. Mcre'speciiically, the present invention is concerned with improvements in a so-called dual wheel on which a pair of coaxially adjacent tires are adapted to be detachably mounted.

Wheels of the character indicated in general use as the driving Wheels of trucks, busses, and like vehicles ordinarily comprise a, central portion of relatively rigid and heavy cast steel construction detachably supporting a pair of rims thereabout with said rims held in axially spaced relation as by a spacer band encircling said centralportion and disposed between said rims, said wheels because of such cast steel construction being unnecessarily heavy'and costly to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is a primar-y object of this inventiontoprovide a built-up fabricated wheel of light weight, resilient construction which may be economically'manufactured.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheel inwhich'the central or ilange portion is of alight-weight pressed steel construction including axially spaced rings or flanges attached at their inner edges to a central hub and free tofbeiiexed toward one another at their outer edges. f

Still Vanother object of this invention is to provide a wheel having a central portion including pressed steel rings thereon of radially curved cross-section whereby to impart shock resilience to the Wheel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheel comprising a hollow light-weight unitary central portion including a hub and flanges and formed with an axially extending tunnel or channel on its periphery for accommodating the valve stems of tires adapted to be mounted on the rims and for permitting axial movement of the tiresv and lrims on said central portion. Another object of this invention is to provide a hollow wheel construction in which the afore- 'said tunnel formed therein, in addition to being -ofaform so as to impart added strength to the wheel, is formed to prevent ingress of foreign matter thereinto.

Other objectsand advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related'ends, said invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims. the following 2 description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail one illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative. however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of `a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section View on a somewhat enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2. Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section view also on a somewhatv enlarged scale taken substantially along the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

- Referring now to the drawing, the wheel illustrated comprises a hub l of relatively small diameter adapted to be connected to a vehicle axle.

Welded or otherwise xed in axially spaced relation adjacent each end of said hub lv and projecting radially from the latter are inside and outside rings or flanges 2 and 3 respectively, of pressed steel and appropriately curved in radial cross section, as illustrated, for imparting desired shock absorbing resilience in the wheel. Said inside ring 2 is provided with an axially extending peripheral flange 4 and said outside ring 3 is provided with a similar flange 5 of the same diameter, such flanges extending toward one another for supporting a spacer 6 coaxially thereabout.-

Fixed to one of said rings, herein the inside ring 2, near the periphery thereof, are a plurality of circularly arranged bolts 1 which havetheir. threaded ends projecting through similarly n ranged openings formed in the outsideuhring'` Nuts 8 threaded onto said bolts wherrutight i are adapted to draw lugs 9 on saidboltsf direction for clamping the hereinafte to rims I0 onto the central portion of said central portion comprising hub ifa 2 and 3. When lugs 9 such as illustrated employed the outside ring 3 will be formed 'withv recesses Il for holding the inclined seats I2'l of said lugs in a proper position projecting radially beyond axial iiange 5.

In some instances, in lieu of separate lugs 9 it may be desirable to employ an annular clamping ring formed with a conical seating surface corresponding with seats I2 on said lugs. In such case, the recesses in said outer ring are not required. It is to be noted that with lugs 9 it is unnecessary to completely remove nuts 8 in order to assemble or disassemble the wheel because upon predetermined loosening of said nuts lugs 9 eli-feit,

rim I comprising a tubular portion I4 of diam; eter for fitting within a tire adapted to be mounted thereon, said tubular portion including an outwardly projecting flange .I5 at one end adapted to be abutted by the adjacent bead of a tire thereon. The other end of each rim I0 is formed with an inwardly constricted portion presenting a conical seat I6 for engagement with the seats I3 and I2 of said inside ring 2 and lugs- 9 respectively. Each constricted portion is also .formed with a .radially outwardly turned lip I-'I whichasplt snap ring I8 is removablyfitted, saidring I8 constituting a flange of shape similanto the aforesaid ange I5 and ladapted to be abuttedfbythe otherv tire bead thereadjacent. Each ring 'I3 is formed with an inner portion I9 l.radially overlapping said lip I`I whereby to preclude 'relative movement of ,said ring' I8 in a directionaway from the associated flange I5 of said-nim I8. As isV apparent, expansion of ring I8 to disengage such radially overlapping surfaces enables axialv withdrawal of said ring I8 from rim I0 to enable convenient removal or mounting of a tire on the latter` best shown in Fig. k3, each`rirn Illis also formed-withan axial slot 2i) through its tubular por-tion I 'through which `the valve stem 2l of a tire is adapted to project inwardly, said stein usu'- .allyfbeing of a shape such as illustrated.

:For accommodating said valve stems 2|, the,

insideandoutside-rings 2 .and 3 are sheared out Ato provide-a.peripheral notch 22 either at-one placeI as shown, or if preferred at a plurality lof equallygspaced points around said rings to pre-y .serve-dynamic balance Iof the wheel and to pro.

"vide-forfmollntingof the rims and tiresin any a .plurality ofrotative positions.l In thelatter nase-.the valvestem 2| of one tire may bedis- Jposedinanother notch whereby each-valve stem 'ismoremeadily accessible for lling the tires.

In order to seal the interior of thegwheel' iagainst-ingressfof gravel, dirt,y orb'other foreign lmatter intothe space between theinside and zoutsidelringsl. and 3, a channel-shaped lpiece of metal23cis welded fin place'insuch notch l22 to vthus I'form a vtunnel orv groove whichfextends axi- {allv'across th'eperiphery ofthe centralportion'of ythewl'ieel. w

Havingthus described one embodiment of the presentimentionsit will be evident thatthe same may be assembledias follows: First one rim Illy '.Witha .tirey thereon is axially shifted inward of fthe central .portion with seat. I6 vof said `rim .opp'osedto seat I3 of insidering 2.; then spacer-6 fisaplaced around .the central portion adjacent the previously mounted rim; and .nallyV the #other rim I0 ispositioned onto the "central por- 5ti'on...withpjits vseat I6 facing outwardly. To y Securelyclamp rims ID in` place on `the vcentral portion, lugs Elv are positioned so thatthe seats yl2 thereon areopposed to or facing seat I6 of the outside -rim I0 .whereupon nuts l8 may bevtight- .enedto draw vthe assembly together with the rim .seats Ilin tightlfrictio'nal engagement with the seats I3 and I2 on inside ring 2 and lugs-9 Yrespectively. It is to be observed lthat tightening of the nuts 8 as aforesaid also flexes the pressed steel rings 2 and 3 axially toward one another in the manner of cantilevers about the inner edges which are xed to hub I whereby to enable firmer clamping of rims In and spacer 6 between seats I2 and I3. It is to ber noted that lugs!! vare each-formed vwith aprojectionZd at its inner 'end engageable with ring 3, functioning as a fulcrum whereby the other end thereof which is formed with seat I2 may be moved toward seat I3 of ring 2 for securely clamping the rims and spacer between such seats.

As shown, spacer 'prevents axial shifting of rims -I towardone another thus maintaining them in predetermined axially spaced relation. VIt is also through said spacer 6 that the inner rim I6 is pressed against its seat I3 on inside ring 2.

The disassembly of -the wheel is equally as simple, involying only the loosening or removal ofjnuts [9 and disengagement Aof vthe lug seatsA I2 from the'out'er rim seat I6 whereupon both rims IEI andspacer 6 therebetween may be axially withdrawn from the central portion of thewheel. ',Other modes of applying the principle of'the ir 1w /enti on maj7` be employed, change ibeing vmade asV regards the details'described, provided the features'stated in 'anyof the following claims, or the equivalentof such; be' employed.

I' therefore particularly point out "anddi'stinctly claim as my invention:

1. A wheel comprising a central hub; a pair of faxially .spaced rings 'on said hub provided with peripheral. flanges of 'substantially equal diameter extending .axially toward oneanoth'er; one' ring' being 'providedwith a seat vprojecting radially outward of such' flanges, a member 'movablymounted adjacent the other ring provided with-aseat projectingradially outward of such flanges and facingthefseatof 'said one ring, said member lbei,ngfenga'geable with said other" Iring upon'mov'ement of said member'toward said one rin-g, means .adapted 'to .'rnove" said .member Ito# ward said one ringgla pairl of .-'ri'ms respectively Yencircling said rings, said .rims being' constricted adjacent Aone .end yto provide .seats respectively in engagement f .w'ith the seatsof said one -ring andmember, anda .spacer between .said rims encircling such peripheral vflanges, said .rings being of .flexible -form -with their .inner/edges fixed-to-saidhub and .their outer portions .free l.to .be .exed toward one Vanother-uponlmovement ofsaid 4member toward fsaicjll .one ring .whereby to clamp said spacer between said rims and to .clamp said rims between theseats .of `saiii'on'e ring and member. 4 4

Y 2. .A wheel -comprising la 4'cer'itral-floub,; a fpair .of "axially spaced rings, on 'said .hub .provided with peripheral Aflanges --of substantially. equal .diameter extending axially toward lone another,

one ring lbeing providedwith la vseat projecting radially outward offsuch flanges, amember mov- Aabl-y .mounted adjacent the other.vr .ring provided provide seats respectively in engagementwith the seats of said one .ring .and member, .a spacer encircling ,such peripheralflange's and disposed .between'those ends of saidrims 'which arejprovided -with seats, .meansf adapted 'to' move" said y memberin a direction `'to causesuchfseats'jof lsaidone'ring and member tol move .twardon'e another to`clampsaid rims and spacer there'- between, said rings being formed with axially aligned peripheral notches, and an axially disposed channel-shaped member in such notches open at opposite ends and at the periphery of said rings and fixed to said rings at its opposite ends thereby forming an axially extending tunnel across said rings.

3. A wheel comprising a central hub, a pair of axially spaced flexible rings having their inner edges xed on said hub and provided with peripheral iianges extending axially toward one another, one ring being enlarged at the juncture of its peripheral iiange therewith to provide a seat facing toward such peripheral flange, one rim fitted over said one ring and provided with an inturned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said one ring, a bolt extending axially from said one ring through the other ring, a nut threaded on said bolt, a lug movable on said bolt by said nut, said lug being located adjacent that side of said other ring which is remote from the peripheral flange thereof and provided with a seat disposed radially outward of such peripheral iiange and facing the seat on said one ring, another rim fitted over said other ring provided with an inturned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said lug, and a spacer encircling such peripheral flanges and disposed between those ends of said rims which are provided with inturned seats, said rings having their outer portions free to be flexed toward one another upon turning of said nut in a direction to cause such seats to move toward one another.

4. A wheel comprising a central hub, a Pair of axially spaced rings on said hub provided with peripheral anges' extending axially toward one another, one ring being enlarged at the juncture of its peripheral flange therewith to provide a seat facing toward such peripheral flange, one rim fitted over said one ring and provided with an inturned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said one ring. a bolt extending axially from said one ring through the other ring, a nut threaded on said bolt, a lug movable on said bolt by said nut, said lug being located adjacent that side of said other ring which is remote from the peripheral ange thereof and provided with a seat disposed radially outward of such peripheral flange and facing the seat on said one ring, another rim fitted over said other ring provided with an intuned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said lug, and a spacer encircling such peripheral iianges and disposed between CTI those ends of said rims which are provided with inturned seats, said rings having their outer portions free to be flexed toward one another upon turning of said nut in a direction to cause such seats to move toward one another to clamp said rings and spacer therebetween.

5. A wheel comprising a central hub, a pair of axially spaced rings on said hub provided with peripheral flanges extending axially toward one another, one ring being enlarged at the juncture of its peripheral flange therewith to provide a seat facing toward such peripheral flange, one rim tted over said one ring and provided with an inturned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said one ring, a bolt extending axially from said one ring through the other ring, a nut threaded on said bolt, a lug movable on said bolt by said nut, said lug being located adjacent that side of said other ring which is remote from the peripheral fiange thereof and provided with a seat disposed radially outward of such peripheral flange and facing the seat on said one ring, another rim fitted over said other ring provided with an inturned seat at one end engaged with the seat on said lug, a spacer encircling such peripheral iianges and disposed between those ends of said rims which are provided with inturned seats, said rings being formed with aligned peripheral notches therethrough, and a channel-shaped member in such notches open at both ends and at the periphery of said rings and extending aidaliy from one ring to the other.

HOMER L. MUEILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,068,572 Dean July 29, 1913 1,440,435 Barry Jan. 2, 1923 1,443,291 Swain e Jan. 23, 1923 1,791,128 Hadeld Feb. 3, 1931 1,984,048 Walther Dec. 11, 1934 Y 2,117,926 Walther May 17, 1938 V2,427,373 Ash Sept. 16, 1947 2,552,081 Ash May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 90,950 Austria Jan. 25, 1923 

